1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an icemaker, more particularly, to an icemaker having a simple structure, which can eject ice from an ice tray with less energy, and a method for controlling the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a household refrigerator/freezer has a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber. The refrigerating chamber keeps its temperature at 3˜4 degree. C to preserve food and various vegetables fresh. The freezing chamber keeps its temperature at a sub-zero, which is below 0 degree. C, to preserve frozen meat and frozen food.
Recently, a household refrigerator is sold with various functions including an icemaker which automatically make ice without a consumer's additional operations and a dispenser which a user can use ice and water outside of the refrigerator, which are great conveniences to the consumer. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an icemaker for a conventional refrigerator. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the icemaker will be described in detail.
The conventional icemaker 10 includes an ice tray 11, a water-supplying part 12, a heater 17, an ejector 14, an operating device 13, an ice bank 20 and over fill detection mechanism 15. The ice tray 11 has an ice making chamber. The water supplying part 12 is formed a side of the ice tray 11 to supply water to the ice making chamber. The heater 17 is mounted on a lower surface of the ice tray 11. The ejector 14 ejects the ice made in the ice tray 11. The operating device 13 drives the ejector 14. The ice bank 20 receives and stores the ice from the ice tray 11. And, the over fill detection mechanism 15 detects the amount of ice filled in the ice bank 20.
The water supplying part 12 is connected to an external water supply source (not shown) provided outside of the refrigerator to supply water into the ice tray 11 when ice making is requested. The ice tray 11 has an approximate semi-cylindrical shape and partition plates are provided in the ice tray 11 to partition the ice making chamber into plural units so that plural ices having predetermined sizes may be made.
As shown in FIG. 2, the heater 17 is mounted on a lower surface of the ice tray 11 to heat the ice tray 11 so that the ice may be melted enough to be ejected from the ice tray 11 smoothly.
The ejector 14 includes a rotational shaft crossing a center of the ice tray 11 and plural ejector fins 14a perpendicularly projected from the rotational shaft. Each ejector fin 14a is corresponding to each unit partitioned by the partition plates to eject each ice within the each unit as the ejector fins 14a is rotating.
A slide 16 is downwardly inclined in a portion of the ice tray 11 where ices are ejected to a portion adjacent to the rotational shaft of the ejector 14. Thus, the ice ejected from the ice tray 11 is sliding on the slide 16 and stored in the ice bank 20 provided below the icemaker 10.
The over fill detection mechanism 15 is moved upwardly/downwardly by the operation device 13 to check the amount of ice filled in the ice bank 20. If the ice bank 20 is filled with ice, the over fill detection mechanism 15 may not move downwardly enough, such that it is detected whether the ice bank 20 is filled.
However, the conventional icemaker for a refrigerator should have the heater, the ejector and the ejector operation device for the ejector. Also, the over fill detection mechanism and its operation device are needed. Thereby, the configuration of the conventional icemaker may be complicated and production cost thereof will be high.
Moreover, the over fill detection mechanism of the conventional icemaker should be rotational to detect whether the ice bank is filled. Thus, large space should be secured near the ice tray for the rotation of the over fill detection mechanism and the ice tray cannot but be fabricated relatively small. It causes a problem that many ices cannot be made in a short time.
Still further, the conventional icemaker should fully heat the ice tray before ejecting the ice. That is because ice can be ejected from the ice tray without any break of ice. Thus, since the heater should be heated for a long time, too much energy is consumed. Also, since the ice may be melted too much, water may be splashed together with ice when the ice is ejected by the ejector. The splashed water may flow into the ice bank enough to make ice stuck together. Thereby, there may be a problem that the ice within the ice bank may not be automatically discharged into the dispenser of the refrigerator.